Not your usual Evil Queen and Snow White I fear.
I remember watching Feud by Ryan Murphy a few years ago and was obsessed with the bitter rivalry of two Hollywood silver-screen icons Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. It’s this tale as old as time – you know, someone younger, prettier comes onto the scene; someone overshadows someone; the “boy who lived”; the Chosen One.
Hollywood is full of legends and legacies and it’s not always flowers and gifts.
But stop me right there, it’s enough about the actresses (Surprise surprise). Are we talking enough about the tech bros and the modern feud that is Instagram and Tik Tok? Is it the rivalry between the two most popular platforms that are constantly reinventing themselves to appeal to mass audiences? Is it the battle between images (Instagram) and sounds (TikTok) to elaborate publicity? Probably neither, but also probably both. The question is to what extent Instagram is losing its identity and trying too much for too many people?
TikTok became the most downloaded app on the Apple App store in early 2018, surpassing Instagram, WhatsApp, and YouTube, and has risen to its utmost popularity since then. It’s 10 pm and “only a few videos then I go to bed”, you whisper to yourself, and before you know it, it’s 2 am. Have you ever wondered or been worried that the TikTok algorithm knows you better than you? When our attention span has shrunk more than ever, if it clicks, it clicks. TikTok offers exactly that as a short-form content-sharing platform. The point of TikTok is the ability to cater to variety and to capture people’s attention within seconds with its For You Page. It doesn’t come here to play – as of Jan 2022, the platform has one billion monthly active users.
Other social media platforms want a piece of TikTok and trying to be it with Instagram spearheading the race (if I use “spearhead” or “streamline” one more time, please put me in jail). Instagram is a social networking app with a focus on sharing photos and videos but recently has pushed for TikTok-style “reels” videos and “heavy promotion of the TikTok-style remix feature”. And that is what it’s all about. Instagram users struggle to find content from friends and family; they get interrupted with “recommended” posts from accounts they don’t follow; they are bombarded with adverts.
From a user point of view, for me, TikTok focuses on the creators and Instagram focuses on the users. TikTok shows us what we might like whereas Instagram shows us what we like.
Instagram is a social platform. And people want Instagram to be Instagram again.
A petition to “Make Instagram Instagram Again” has garnered over 2,000,000 likes on Instagram and got reposted by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner. The petition on change.org has amassed nearly 200,000 signatures.
When I tell you when Kylie Jenner speaks, they should listen. Otherwise, ask Snapchat. People now recall how she cost Snapchat back in 2018 with just one tweet. Well, other factors were involved, but still. In February 2018, Jenner tweeted to her then 24.5 million followers suggesting that she hadn’t been using Snapchat as of late. Shares of Snapchat’s parent company sank 6.1 percent a day later with $1.3 billion being wiped out in market value within a week. Didn’t look like “rise and shine” to me!
Did Instagram listen to what people are saying? No. Instagram’s feed is so helpful that Adam Mosseri (CEO) posted a video on Twitter basically implying “we’ve seen your concerns but that’s that”.
I’ve got in touch with Natalie DiBona (Digital Manager at Manifest Group) and Jordan Mulvaney (Creative Digital Strategist at The Digi Fairy) to ask for their thoughts on this change on Instagram
Natalie:
Instagram seems to have lost its identity by trying to do too much at once and doesn’t know its purpose. Nearly all content on the explore page is repurposed TikToks or tweets, and we’re losing the core of the community-focused app. From a brand point-of-view, it’s becoming impossible to keep up with the constantly shifting algorithm, as videos are prioritised while photos are getting lost in the mix and just not reaching audiences or converting anymore.
Jordan:
Ultimately, Instagram feels like a sinking ship. Instagram is turning its back on the creators who made the platform the major player it is today – shout out to the all the photographers and graphic designers out there. It’s evident that Instagram is threatened by TikTok with the massive emphasis on Reels content (I honestly can’t even watch Stories without Reels being pushed on me). The new full screen update will also cause havoc, but I predict over time Instagram will be the new Facebook….cringe. Also, something very funny about Instagram turning to Twitter to post information around the update.
I also reached out to Kylie Jenner to ask for more details but she was busy taking a 12-min flight on her $70million private jet.
People only ask for a choice and just want to be given a choice. Businesses are within their rights to evolve, reinvent and innovate but they should also listen to what customers are saying. Instagram will forever be my favourite app – I hope it’s just a flop, not a flop era.. All I want is a cute gallery of photo dumps from my friends. It’s not this story of TikTok eclipsing Instagram or vice versa, it’s a story of where people look for mass entertainment and where people look for things that are more personal.
Where is RuPaul when we need her the most? Bring back my chronological timelines!
P.S: Netflix, if you are reading this, this might be your chance to develop a movie based on this plot and save your streaming service from losing subscribers. I don’t mind full-throttle movies and some Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling in action from time to time, but the time has come for you to work on the quality of content, for your life.
Stop me again, this isn’t an open letter to tech companies.
